TCA Students’ Academic Achievements Recognized

Trinity Christian Academy (TCA) has announced students recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and College Board, one of whom qualified as a National Merit Semifinalist — a category represented by less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors. 

Students were given the opportunity to enter the 2025 National Merit Scholar Program based on their performance on the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. 

Five students were named National Merit Commended Students: Jackson Duke, Ryan Elms, Gavin Farley, Daniel Yang, and Sergio Zuniga. Karys Karlow was named a National Merit Semifinalist for the 2024 Scholarship Program.

Semifinalists can continue competing for multiple scholarships worth a combined value of more than $28 million offered for the spring semester. Students commended may qualify for scholarships provided by corporate sponsors.

Seven TCA students earned awards through the College Board’s National Recognition Programs, including Sean Brownfield (First-Generation), Lucas Cavazos (Hispanic), AnnMarie Martinez (First Generation), Samuel McConathy (Indigenous), Alexandria Ronde (Hispanic), Ana Sofia Zuniga (Hispanic), and Victoria Zuniga (Hispanic).

The National Hispanic Recognition Program, launched by the College Board 38 years ago, was initially created to represent academically talented and historically underrepresented Latino students. In 2019, the initiative broadened its scope.

Now called the “National Recognition Program,” it added awards for students in remote areas and rural towns as well as incorporated Black and Indigenous students’ recognition into the program.

In early 2024, the College Board’s National Recognition Program was expanded to recognize first-generation students. Two of the seven TCA students, Brownfield and Martinez, were represented in the first-generation category this year.